Chapter 153 Incurable Disease
Inside the study, William sat on the edge of the large desk while Arabella sat in the high-backed leather chair, observing the man staring keenly.
She picked up a pen, twirling it between her fingers, on the table to assert her dominance, observing William who didn't take his own seat, letting the one who owns his heart and soul have it.
"You know, William... Liyah is going to be a problem. She still thinks she has a hold over you."
William scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Vex not. I will handle her."
"Will you?" Arabella leaned towards him, her eyes narrowing slightly, gesturing to him with one finger to shift forward.
She smirked, “Or are you just going to throw me towards the wolf known as Liyah, just to test me?”
“You are the one who asked for my trust.” William flashed a dark smirk.
Inclining his hand on the armrest, blocking her view. His other hand slowly shifted to her hair, gripping it forcefully, “I am merely checking- Will ‘you’?”
He let out a dangerous, suppressed chuckle, breathing heavily in her ears. Her fingers clamped around his shirt, declining to part from him, a hopelessness filling her.
“What should I do to make you believe I will, William? Give me a chance to prove my love. I want you to share your pain with me,” She whispered back.
He arched an eyebrow handsomely, challenging her, “What is the promise you won’t make my pain notorious?”
Staring intensely, she didn’t hesitate to vow.
“Kill me if I do.”
William’s grip slackened. He recoiled as if burned, his eyes wide with a sudden shock, “How… how can you say that?”
His mind raced, unable to process the absolute surrender in her eyes before grabbing her by the elbows roughly and hoisting her up until she was forced to stand, trapped between him and the chair.
“What are you hiding, Arabella?” He demanded, pressing her firmly against his body, losing his composure, trembling slightly.
“One is simply incapable of this level of worship without a prior miracle.”
His grip tightened, “What is it? What did I miss? What are you hiding from me?”
“That I….” Forming a hauntingly calm look, her hand rested on his shoulder, tiptoeing to graze her lips against his ear.
“Have an incurable disease.”
The blood drained from William’s face, stiffening him in horror. The dominant, terrifying man disappeared, replaced with a terrified one.
“Wh-What? What kind of joke is this? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“That is your task,” she whispered, patting his cheek. “To find out what it is.”
“Don’t play with me!” William’s voice cracked, ripping away from her, a look of pure horror, body shaking violently in terror. His hands were frightened to touch her.
“Is it bad? Are you in pain? Is that why you are being like this? Because you are leaving me too?” He whimpered, a screen of tears forming. The slightest perception of losing her shut down his functioning.
“My heart is sinking, Arabella. Tell me! Is it your heart? Your brain? Is it cancer?” He stopped, breathless, his eyes darting around the room. Arabella stood stunned, observing the devastation.
Her hand extended to touch him. He held her wrist, voice breaking, a few tears rolling down his cheek.
“I will get the best doctors. I will buy the hospitals. Just tell me what it is!” He whimpered, on the verge of shattering into a sob.
“No,” she said softly, watching his meltdown with serenity, noticing how he was losing himself.
“Not until you find the name of it yourself. We have all the time in the world, William. Trust me.” She whispered, placing her hand over his heart to soothe him.
“All the time?” William’s features hardened, shallow gasps, a full-blown panic attack taking root.
He looked at her, his hands shaking so violently, hands over her neck, eyes narrowing in pure anguish.
“... You are telling me to relax after telling you have an incurable disease? Arabella, I can’t- I can’t breathe. Tell me what it is!” He panted heavily.
She just smiled, a beautiful curve of the lips, “Mhm. Let’s just take our time.”
William collapsed back against the desk, his knees buckling slightly, his gaze fixed on her in total, frantic terror, “Re-Really?”
“Mhm. Let’s just,” She pressed, “Take our time.”
“Okay… just tell me… is it fatal?”
She smirked, shrugged her shoulders, “Life- threatening? No. Engou to take my breaths away? Yes.”
His brows furrowed in confusion, “What is that? Diabetes? Blood pressure issue?”
“Hmmm. I don’t know.”
“I might die myself before finding out-” She covered his mouth, shaking her head in denial with a beautiful devotion, “No, I won’t let you.”
He relaxed eventually, trying not to panic, kissing the top of her head, “I will find it…. I will find out at all costs.”
Arabella simply ran her fingers through his hair, watching the monster she had broken. “Then you better start searching, William.”
One Hour Later.
Their beautiful room was a masterpiece of mess, open drawers, things thrown away. Drawers were pulled from their tracks, shirts scattered. Arabella’s jewelry boxes had been lying across the ground.
William was on his knees in the center of the walk-in closet, surrounded by a mountain of her personal files and old journals.
His tie was undone, his hair was a mess, sleeves roughly rolled to the elbow, searching for any track or trace but found none.
“What is a disease without a diagnosis?” he muttered, digging deep into papers to find some connection as the door opened slowly.
Arabella entered, taken aback at the condition of the room and her husband whose face was covered by the file.
“You were right…” Trailing off, she got his attention, pinching the bridge of her nose in disappointment.
“You have done worse to this room. No wonder you showed zero reaction when I tried to piss you off.”
“Hush,” William ordered, not even looking up, pointing a trembling finger at her. “I am busy.”
Arabella’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh?”
She stepped over a pile of sweaters and pulled him up by the ear, scoldingly, dragging him out of the closet.
“Busy doing what, Mister? Ruining my sanctuary?”
He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off with a sharp, commanding look. “Hush. There is nothing here. Get away. Let me clean up your mess.”
He was left silent by her one glare and sat on the bed like an obedient kid. Arabella began to tidy the room, a secret, amused smile playing on her lips.
The game had begun, and William was already losing his mind.